<p>I've just gotten my first prep book and it suggests not reading the passage at all; just skipping to the questions. I can see that in some cases this may be okay, because sometimes the questions are just things like "In context, what does this word mean" and all you need to know is the definition of the word and look at the line where its used. But sometimes there are questions, where just looking back at the one section isn't enough, you should read the entire thing. So, what do you guys think? Should you read the passage or not?</p>
<p>Also, on my practice test I did very badly in Critical Reading so any suggestions? I'd say most of the reason is because of vocabulary so also any suggestions about improving vocabulary? Many books have lists of "common SAT words", so do those really help or not? Would it be worth it to learn all of the words on the list?</p>
<p>I recommend reading the first question, then reading from the beginning of the passage down to where you can find the answer, then reading the next question, going back to the passage, until you’ve read the whole passage and can answer all the questions. I’ve found that there are some parts where you have to read about a paragraph above and below so that you understand what’s the author’s talking about, but then I might as well read the entire passage. I’d say do that if you have the time. I think just going to the questions and reading only the section corresponding to the question is useful mostly if you’re running out of time. In general, it’s hard to “study” or “prepare” for critical reading because having good reading skills will trump tricks and strategies. To improve vocab, use the words in ordinary conversation.</p>
<p>There is no “silver bullet” for 800ing the CR section. Everyone’s approach is different. Try out some different ones and find which one you like best.</p>
<p>dictates the Grammatix.
And i agree. WHen i read the passage and when i dont read the passage, i score the same. The difference is that when i dont read it, i end up having 10 minutes left over to check my work. So that boosts my score on average by 20- 30 points for CR. ( i started out high)</p>
<p>The SAT is a REASONING test. It doesnt test your ability to read- they do that in kindergarden. It is also STANDARDIZED. CR should stand for critical reasoning.</p>
<p>If you disagree, talk to Mike Barret. Its his book, his method. It works.</p>
<p>Take some practice tests, and try different strategies. It actually took me longer when I did not read the passages. I was a lot less confident in my answers, so I spent longer on each question. For most people, there is enough time to read the passages.</p>
<p>Everyone I know with 700+ reads the passage first. I personally am the type that would get nervous without reading it first. I think when your in test mode you read faster with the same retention rate anyway so you won’t be “saving valuable time” if you read questions first.</p>
<p>I always read completely. I’m a pretty fast reader so I’m still left with plenty of time to check my work. Reading thoroughly allows me to better understand the deeper meanings behind the passage which usually helps me a lot on the questions.</p>
<p>When I first started prepping for the SATs I used the B211F strategy.
1.read the blurb (B)
2.read the first 2 sentences of the first paragraph (2)
3.read the first sentence of each subsequent paragraph (1…1)
4.read the final sentence in the conclusion/last paragraph (F)</p>
<p>For me it worked well…it’s like a bridge between reading the whole thing and not reading anything at all; essentially smart skimming. It helped increase my confident in critical reading so that now I no longer need to skim at all - I just go straight to the questions.</p>
<p>everyone does it differently. I recommend trying out different ways (I’ve listed some that I’ve tried) and choosing one that works best for you. If you time yourself, you might pick the way that works and uses the least amount of time :]</p>
<p>**Always mark the passage with citations given in the questions before you start doing anything else. Also read the blurb in italics to get an idea of what the passage is about.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>After marking the passage and reading the blurb, go straight to the questions. Try to answer all the ones that gives you citations (line numbers) first. Then, re-use those citations to help you answer the remaining questions that are more broad.</p></li>
<li><p>After marking the passage and reading the blurb, start reading (more like skimming) from the beginning. Stop when you get to a marked section and answer the corresponding question. Continue reading and do the same thing when you get to the next marked section. Answer the rest when you finish the passage (or when you finish answering the citation questions)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The key is to read only what is required to answer the questions. There’s no need to go farther than what is required, because then you are prone to being subjective. You need to be objective. Pick the answer choice that is backed up by evidence straight from the passage. This is practically what every good prep book tells you to do. gluck :]</p>
<p>I read the passage first and I got an 800. I love reading and read a lot, but I think a lot of the thematic elements and overall context can be lost by just searching for question answers. My friend, who is very smart, did that and got a 610. I then showed her how I handled the section (reading the passage first, then re-referencing certain sections according to what the question warrants), and she got a 730.</p>
<p>If you’re a fast reader, I would read the passage first. If you’re not that fast, I’d read the questions first, than go back and read the passage. </p>
<p>Personally, I skim the whole passage first, than read the questions. I than go back and underline where and what I think the answer is. Than I read the passage again. I got a 750, first time. However, I love to read, and generally read a 400+ page book every week; so it all depends. do practice tests and figure out your personal best strategies.</p>
<p>I skim the questions and mark the line references in the test, then read a couple paragraphs at a time and stop in between to answer the relevant questions.</p>